Hot spot: Naples makes top 50 event destination list

DAVE OSBORN

6:00 AM, Aug 10, 2012

1. Orlando

2. Washington, D.C.

3. Las Vegas

4. Miami

5. Chicago

6. San Diego

7. Phoenix

8. Atlanta

9. Dallas

10. New Orleans

49. Naples

Source: Cvent

See you in Naples.

That seems to be what many businesses and organizations are saying, as Naples made a list of the top 50 events and meeting destinations in the United States, based on a report released this week by Cvent, the world's largest meetings and event management technology company.

Cvent — considered something like the Expedia for meeting planners — helps them find a place for their next big conference or convention. Inquiries are sent to hotels throughout the United States, and they compete for the business, said Eric Eden, vice president of marketing for Cvent, based in McLean, Va.

Cities that fared the best had the most room nights, the main criterion for the ranking. Cvent evaluated 1,000 cities and 200 major metropolitan areas in the United States on the Cvent Supplier Network.

For Naples to make the top 50 is significant, Eden said.

"The benefit isn't just for the hotels but also for the restaurants, taxi drivers and stores," he said. "Meetings and conferences are a big boost for the local economy."

For the Cvent study, the company's first, activity was tracked between July 2011 and June 2012.

"One of the reasons Naples made the list is Florida is a nice destination," Eden said. "There's 35 hotels roughly in Naples, and 6,000 sleeping rooms."

He also pointed to the Waldorf Astoria Naples, Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club and other hotels that market and advertise heavily.

The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club attracts organizations from all corners of the United States looking to hold their conferences at the hotel, said Michele Marsee, director of sales and marketing.

"It does not surprise me," she said of Naples making Cvent's top 50 list. "Some groups want to feel like they're a big fish in small pond. And Naples certainly allows them to do that. They're not sacrificing on the amenities."

The Naples Beach Hotel competes not only with other Florida resorts, but also with other states and countries for conventions and conferences, Marsee said.

"You have to constantly be out there, educating clients that your product is here because you have so much to choose from," she said.

"When you go to a resort, the idea is a you have a little bit of everything, a little bit of fun integrated into their meeting. If you wanted the hustle and bustle, you could stay at home."